The city was Little Rock. The location was the Statehouse Convention Center. The event? River City Comic Expo 11 – 12 June 2016. I tried three times on Saturday to get to see Mr. O’Barr. Three times! I had my mini-me with me and I wanted to talk art, adaptation and The Crow. But it was not to be. It took arriving early on Sunday and seeing this legend arriving (I was an hour early) to tell myself that I should not be at all nervous to talk to him because I was terrified. I love the story he crafted and I love Brandon Lee’s portrayal of the character, despite it not being a true adaptation and let’s face it kids, I saw the movie in the theatre. (I’m as old as dirt.) After taking in a couple other panels and gathering my courage, I approached Mr. O’Barr. I didn’t discuss any of the things I had planned to. I didn’t discuss the personal tragedy drove him to create the comic in the first place. Most fans know that story, but just in case, a drunk driver killed his fiancé when he was 18 and creating The Crow helped him cope with his anger. I admired the print I was purchasing of Brandon Lee as The Crow. Here he told me a fantastic story about where the money is going from these prints. It’s not in his pocket. Any print he sells goes to a fund to purchase a star for Brandon on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Brandon’s sister Shannon (Bruce’s daughter) is trying to raise the money to get it next to Bruce’s star. Shannon, FYI, runs the Bruce Lee and Brandon Lee fan clubs. It costs $100,000 to get a star and it costs extra to have it placed next to Bruce, because someone else has to be moved, costs extra for insurance (in case someone tries to (or succeeds) steal it and damages it), and then there’s the maintenance. Wow. That’s a lot. Who knew? So, if you’re ever at a convention and James O’Barr is there, please buy a print of Brandon Lee as The Crow. It really does go to a good cause. The questions I asked were more about adaptation. As a writer myself, this process is one that mystifies me. Why? Because there are adaptations that rock (Harry Potter, Captain America (even though not a true adaptation)) and then there are adaptations that are less than stellar, disasters even (Eragon, The Seeker: The Dark is Rising). How was this process for him with the new film? Was there a script already in place or did he help write one? So, here’s what he told me. “The new film will be filmed somewhere in Ireland in an abandoned warehouse district from World War II that looks a hell of a lot like Detroit. It’s a period piece set in the 1980’s with lots of good music. The filmmaker is British, Corin Hardy (The Hallows) and has been a huge fan, loves the books. He hates CGI so the film he’s already done The Hallows has no CGI. Corin came with a script. Flew over just to talk about it. The script was pretty close to what was in the books, I filled in a few blanks and a little of the backstory the was left out of the first one, like why Albrecht was so obsessed with the case. I trust him with it because he wanted me involved and wouldn’t do it without me. I’m involved creatively one hundred percent.” So, there you have it. If James O’Barr is happy with the choices being made then we should be too. I know I am. And if you’re still reading this here’s a treat … the backstory? Albrecht lives across the street from Eric and Shelly. Shhh. ;)
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If you’ve been anticipating “Star Wars: Tales of the Empire,” or frankly any new Star Wars property like me, chances are you’ve already seen this series. So, feel free to skip this review.
If you’re still here, great! Keep reading. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I took a little over an hour this morning to watch this series in its entirety. I’m no fan of the Empire, but this connects two characters Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) and Barriss Offee (Meredith Salenger) to other storylines in the Star Wars Universe. A prequel for Morgan Elsbeth. We all wanted to know what happened to her, right? (SPOILER ALERT if you have yet to see “Ahsoka.”) How did she get to be so interested in the Night Sisters (or the Witches of Dathomir, but now they have been referred to as the Night Sisters… take that Disney. It’s canon now!! I can’t wait for Dave Filoni to pull in Daughters of Dathomir.) Elsbeth (not to be confused with that new “The Good Wife”/“The Good Fight” spin-off on CBS “Elsbeth”) is introduced in the first episode as a teen on Dathomir during the Clone Wars and escaping General Grievous after he cuts down her mother. The second episode she meets Thrawn. Here the seeds are laid for Elsbeth’s part in “Ahsoka.” If you’ve seen it, you know. The third episode (and Elsbeth’s last in this particular season/series) works directly into the “Ahsoka” storyline. For Barriss Offee, “Tales” is a continuation of her story. You may have seen her in “The Clone Wars” along side the Jedi Master Luminara Unduli as a Padawan. The fourth episode is where Barriss’ story starts and we see her recruitment into the Inquisitors from a prison cell. Next episode, Barriss goes on her first mission and she remembers herself. She removes herself after a cold and heartless action by Lyn Rakish (aka the Fourth Sister). Barriss was not yet ready to completely forsake the ways of the Jedi. The final episode the two are reunited but this tie Barriss is known as “The Healer” or “The Wise Mother.” She sends a family with a Force sensitive baby to “a friend” we can safely assume is Ahsoka. Lyn and Barriss do have a confrontation, but you’ll have to go watch the series to see what the outcome was. Did Lyn redeem herself as the Jedi she once was or did she give in to the Dark Side and the Inquisitors? This series is a great addition to the universe and it doesn’t take a lot of time out of your day to finish with each episode being a mere 14 - 16 minutes long. I throughly enjoyed watching “Tales of the Empire.” If you’re a Star Wars fan like me, you anticipated the arrival of the Disney+ series “Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi.” When it was first announced as “Kenobi” I knew how much single word titles are preferred in Hollywood. Then upon release it went to the character’s full name, I was a bit surprised.
I was skimming through the library’s science fiction section and picked up this Star Wars book I hadn’t read. (Shocker, I’ve read a lot of them!) At first I thought that this was a novelization of the series. But I was wrong. This brilliant novel by John Jackson Miller (Del Rey/Lucas Books, 2013) is not a novelization, however it may have been a building block for the writers of the series. ”Kenobi” is a great addition to the Star Wars Extended Universe (SWEU). Miller did a wonderful job of filling in the gap from when Obi-Wan delivered Luke Skywalker to the Lars homestead. He even touched on events in the prequels, (SPOILER ALERT - but come on…) like the slaughter of the Tusken Raiders after Anakin’s mother was kidnapped. The book even goes so far as touching on the fate of the posse that went after Shmi Skywalker Lars. It gives the reader a glimpse into the life of moisture farmers, Tusken Raiders, and what it means to be from Tatooine. Miller finally gives fans a reason why “the Jundland Wastes are not to be travelled lightly.” Although the movie alludes to the Tuskens as the main reason, “Kenobi” goes into more detail like Krayt Dragons and Sarlaccs. This book also explores Obi-Wan’s guilt and isolation after the events in Episode III. Also why he’s so desperate to “lay low” and why he’s terrible at it. Another nod to previous characters and happenings in the Star Wars Universe is Obi-Wan taking the name Ben, a name he says Satine Kryze called him. Why is this significant? Developments with Annileen Calwell (one of the other main characters in this novel) open the door to exploration of relationships outside of the Jedi order. Which in turn fills in gaps that fans suspected all along with the relationship between Satine and Obi-Wan. If you haven’t picked up “Star Wars: Kenobi” I highly recommend adding it to your reading list. John Jackson Miller has previously written in the Star Wars Universe “Star Wars: Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories” (Also a really great series!) and “Star Wars: Knight Errant.” What can I say but “Wow!” The first episode was amazing. I didn’t have high hopes as She-Hulk was never my favorite and to be fair neither was Hulk. But Mark Ruffalo really made the character his own. That’s neither here nor there. It’s important because Smart Hulk, per IMDB.com is in the entire series. Makes complete sense!
It took me a hot minute to finish the series, but I made it. It’s a wonderful addition to the MCU. I chose to ignore the haters that complained about Kamala getting her costume in the last episode. Duh. It’s the origin story of Ms. Marvel. You can’t come out of the gate with a costume. It’s essentially a six hour movie so they had time to explore her character and get into what makes her the way she is.
Well, I finally got caught up on this series. (I’ll try not to spoil it for anyone!)
It’s just not the same with my geeky stuff buddy here. She had already warned me of the plot twist in episode 2 and was quite shocked I hadn’t seen it yet. Don’t have the amount of time on my hands that she had, apparently. That housekeeping out of the way, here we go! I love that the Marvel Studios title card has had different music for each episode. It’s made it unique and kind of fits the feel of the episode. Marvel did that with the end credits for “Moon Knight.” I know… Ms. Marvel is unique. Kamala’s desire to be different in her world and be like her hero Captain Marvel is plastered all over. In her room, in her locker, the wallpaper on her phone, and even her clothes! We can see the struggle between the American culture where she was born and raised and her parents’ Pakistani culture. It kind of had “Bend it Like Beckham” vibes and that is amazing because “Bend it Like Beckham” is one of my favorite movies. This show has the hero’s journey with the refusal deeply ingrained in the first episode. I feel that it’s because of Kamala’s struggle between her American and Pakistani halves. She wants to be the good daughter but yet, she wants to be badass like her hero. Her best friends Nakia & Bruno (if he had his way… they’d be more and you can feel that in several moments sprinkled throughout the show) … one grounds her (sort of) to her Muslim faith and her Pakistani roots while the other encourages her love of Captain Marvel and helps her with her Cosplay for the very first AvengerCon. I will say that the first episode gave me “Turning Red” vibes to a point in the tone. It was great build up for the rest of the series, which eventually leaves Jersey City, New Jersey and travels to Pakistan, a place Kamala has never been but is there with her mother because her grandma (Nani) has said they should come. Kamala’s American-ness gets the group (an aunt, two cousins, Kamala, and her mother) relegated to the patio at a restaurant because Kamala has worn jeans. Her cousins take her through the city and eventually leave her to explore on her own. She runs into someone from the group known as the Red Dagger. During a battle, Kamala is sent back in time to Pakistan and the partition. I suppose I would know more about this event if I had taken more World History classes in college. If you didn’t know 15 August 1947 is when then British India was divided into India and Pakistan. To go even further… Pakistan is a divided a bit more. It’s been divided into the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. If you want to read more click here. And back in 1947 is where the episode ends. I haven’t read the Ms. Marvel comics but kudos to Marvel for creating this character. It’s about time. Even more praise for Marvel Studios for choosing this character to unpack in a TV series. I don’t think an origin movie would have done Kamala Kahn’s story any justice. If you haven’t watched it yet because you weren’t sure about the character or the story… I urge you to give it a try. If you’re waiting for all of the episodes to drop… it looks like 13 July is the date. So far, only 6 episodes are listed on IMDB. Of course, true to Disney+/Marvel Studios fashion, there’s a season 1. Will we get another season? We’ll see! It’s been rough. Went on vacation, came home, then Friday morning happened and I wasn’t ready to finish this series. To be fair…
I’ve also been dragging this out. I don’t want the series to be over, so I procrastinated finishing episode six. It was amazing!! So, without further ado (spoilers involved)… Remember, I’m a freelance screenwriter so yes, I know about plot and structure which is why this story worked so well as a show rather than a feature. As a feature we would have lost so much of the storyline (we’ll call it the B Story) with Reva. I kind of want to know how she moves on. Now this character is where we loop back to the first episode of the series when the younglings are slaughtered. Why show that again? It’s what was happening above that grizzly massacre that’s important later because it distracts you, fills in some blanks maybe. Sure we see the younglings escape and we already know what happened to one of them. Well, okay. That’s the distraction! Obi-Wan puts it together that the only way Reva would know if Anakin were still alive was if she’d seen him. Yes, indeed. Reva was one of the younglings in the slaughter. She reveals how she did it. Before you say “Anakin would have known” would he? He was so focused on keeping Padme alive that he was completely ignoring anything else. We see his focus on Obi-Wan (okay, it’s more of an obsession really) interfere with his mission for the Emperor and Palpatine points it out. Not subtly either. So, the B Story… is really Reva’s story and not part of executing Order 66. She uses the A Story (Order 66, I know… 10 years later and it’s still going. Well, they expanded it and we’ll get to that in a moment.) to advance her desire for revenge. How else would she know to kidnap Leia to lure Obi-Wan out? She knew he was still alive. With Vader’s thirst for… whatever… revenge, closure, an apology… she uses that to take Organa’s kid. She only knew that Obi-Wan was friends with Bail and not the whole secret but she did get there and went after Luke. That was another level of “will she or won’t she.” But what was Reva getting revenge for? Let’s go back to that part where she was the survivor of the youngling massacre. Her plan to use Obi-Wan to get to Vader and kill him was destined to fail. One, it would have really messed up ANH. Two, we had to have another confrontation with Vader and Kenobi. The B Story is resolved when Reva is confronted with the choice to kill the boy or return him to Owen and Baru. She chooses the latter. She chooses to not become like Anakin and kill a youngling. Instead, she confers with Obi-Wan and leaves her lightsaber behind to begin healing, as well as a new life. (Okay #Disney I want a Reva series!!) We do get the final confrontation of the show with Anakin and Obi-Wan. And boy is it good! A lot of back and forth with the Force throws, banter, and lightsaber action. It proves why Obi-Wan was just as badass as a Jedi as Mace Windu and Yoda. This sequence will also give you a plot point in ANH. When Ben tells Luke that Vader killed his father… Vader tells Obi-Wan that he killed Anakin, not Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan stands there with tears in his eyes, mourning the loss of his padawan and best friend all over again. But, Obi-Wan kicks ass, makes his getaway and senses that Luke is in danger. About that… we see the lengths that Owen and Baru are willing to go through for their nephew. Baru planned for something to happen, Owen did not. Remember, Owen is a bit of a pacifist. He seems genuinely shocked that his wife had thought of fighting. It does give Luke time to run when Reva arrives with two people blasting away at her. In Reva’s need for revenge and in her anger, she becomes unfocused. Reva does follow Luke and we’ve already discussed what happened there. Here’s what happened after… Obi-Wan goes to Alderaan. It’s introduced to us by Leia getting ready to greet some dignitary. She slides on her really sensible boots, her gloves, and Tala’s holster. She is 100% Padme’s kid. But we already knew that. She reminds her father that he told her there were different ways to lead and that is what she chose. He agrees to making changes with her, together. Then she’s surprised by Obi-Wan’s arrival. He had to return Lola after all. It is a touching moment. Obi-Wan tells the young princess that she must not tell anyone they know each other or it would be dangerous. We can see the reluctance on her face but she knows how to do her duty. And that was part of her duty, to help keep the Jedi safe. Now, for Luke for anyone saying, “What about…?” Ben stops by the Lars homestead after he packs up his cave. He conveys upon Owen the job of protector. Ben saw in the Lars family that Luke would be able to be a child and that was just as important as Jedi training, maybe a bit more important. This, friends, is where the Jedi code changed. Here’s how Luke knows about Ben. As Obi-Wan is leaving, Owen asks if he wants to meet Luke. Of course he does and the series ends with Kenobi saying “Hello there.” I didn’t forget, in case you were wondering… Order 66 and it’s expansion to fit the narrative of this show. Well, not really. If I recall correctly it was expanded in the EU (now Legends). The Inquisitors were also hunting families of Force sensitives and murdering them. That was totally a Palpatine paranoia, so it makes sense that there would be a dedicated unit to eradicate anyone that may be able to stand up to Palpatine and the Empire. (Hm. Sounds familiar IRL…) And there you have it. My review/impression of the series finale of “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” I just finished Episode 4, which I should note is approximately ten minutes shorter than the other episodes. With that out of the way, let’s get to it.
I’m not going to recap or summarize for you. What I’m going to do is tell you about my impressions. I’ve been trying to be spoiler-free when reading articles about the series thus far. It’s been okay. I’ve read a lot of commentary bashing the acting saying it wasn’t nearly as good as the movies and Moses Ingram has also gotten some hate. (I can see why we should hate the character but we should not hate the person who plays the character. Be adults. If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. Yes, I know free speech but there’s a fine line in free speech and being a twat. Figure it out.) The acting has been fine. Up to the usual standard. Ewan McGregor stepped nicely into a role that he hasn’t played in a decade and a half. Obi-Wan has always been one of my favorites (I’ll dig up a photo of my Ben Kenobi Star Wars BABW bear, complete with Jedi robes and insert it if you don’t believe me). More so after reading EU (now Legends) books with him in it. Few and far between that they are. I anticipated this series more than the others and for me, it’s doing a bang up job. We do get to see some great hand-to-hand fights and yes, we see Obi-Wan kick some ass with a lightsaber. You might be asking “What about the Leia problem?” Well, if they can wipe a droid’s memory, why can’t they do that with people? You know like “obliviate” but Star Wars-style. We’ll just have to wait and see how that will be handled. I will admit that it does cause a bit of a hiccup in ANH with Leia’s initial message to Obi-Wan. I must admit, I was surprised at what the Inquisitor base held and it was really great to see the beginnings of the Rebellion. I also found it interesting that Vader is so focused on Kenobi that he completely misses that one of his Force-sensitive offspring is close by. Which may make Vader’s lack of power due to his condition much more plausible. Wait. What? Vader has some failings, if he was supposed to the most powerful Jedi (now Sith) and bring balance to the Force, his oopsie on Mustafar with his former master may have affected his ability to adequately weld the Force because he is now more machine than man. Meaning the speculation that you have to be fully flesh and blood to be able to access your full Force ability is valid. Granted Leia wasn’t the Jedi that Luke was but you can see her use it without knowing she’s doing it when Reva questions her. She’s ten! A normal ten year old would have caved. Just more proof that Padme provided some of those ass kicking genes. Star Wars is one of the many reasons I write sci-fi. The ability to bend reality (lightsabers anyone?) and make it believable… I am in awe of the world of Star Wars and how vast it was before the addition of 2 trilogies and hundreds of books. “Obi-Wan Kenobi” is another great addition. If you don’t like it, fine. Just don’t spoil it for the rest of us. If you’re waiting for all the episodes to be out… only two more weeks to go, but don’t wait! Half the fun is the anticipation for the next episode. May the Force be with you. Wow. It was unexpected and amazing. (Yes, I know episode II is also out but I didn't have time to get to it today. And, yes, a review of that episode will be done as well.) This may have some spoilers in it so beware and proceed with caution.
You may be tempted to skip the recap. Don't do it. It was a great start and you get a bit of a surprise once the recap is done. Let me tell you, some of the older younglings manage to escape the temple. This is an important part of the plot. The series takes place ten years after Order 66 was issued and it opens on Tatooine with an Imperial ship landing. It's not one I recall seeing, however if it was in Rebels or Bad Batch you'll know it. (Don't look at me like that! I have been busy.) If you've been watching the trailers you'll know that the Inquisitors have come looking for Jedi. They start in the cantina. I mean, why not right? You're probably thinking that the Jedi they're hunting is Obi-Wan. Well, you'd be wrong. Remember when I said some of the older younglings had escaped the temple? This is where we meet one of them. He is able to escape the Inquisitors. He finds Obi-Wan and begs for help. Obi-Wan refuses as he is committed to his mission and he's trying to hide as well. He tells the kid to go bury his lightsaber (foreshadowing) in a hole in the desert and never look back. The next day, Obi-Wan has a clash with Owen Lars (Joel Edgerton has returned!) and there is every opportunity to turn Obi-Wan over to the Inquisitors but Owen doesn't. Here's where you may get confused. The show is about Obi-Wan, right? Well, we see Alderaan and a young lady getting dressed up. We assume it's Leia, however, it is soon revealed that Leia has asked someone to take her place as she proceeds to the woods to watch the ships coming in. What she doesn't see is that she is being watched. (More foreshadowing.) When Leia's mother finds her, we see the ticks that Leia has already learned, like picking her mother's pocket to retrieve a small droid. (Yes, this will be important later.) This sequence is also where we see Leia use a force ability that she's quite unaware that she uses when she dishes truth back to her mean-spirited cousin. We also learn that her parents have not let Leia leave the planet. (Gee, I wonder why?) We know that Leia is not one for the trappings of being a senator's daughter as she flees to the woods rather than apologize to her oaf of a cousin. This is where the young princess gets into trouble. She's kidnapped. Not for who she is but for who her father was associated with in the Clone Wars. So, far Obi-Wan has resisted the call to adventure because his adventuring days are done as he watches over young Luke Skywalker but he's called upon by his old friend Bail Organa to find Leia. And this is where the episode ends. It's a great addition to the story. So far the plot is great, the limited action was good, the VFX were on par with previous Star Wars stories, and Obi-Wan Kenobi is a beloved character. I for one have been waiting for him to get some love. Check out the episode if you haven't already. Give the second one a try as well. Let me know what you think. May the force be with you.
If you want a short spoiler free review, watch the video. If you want a bit more detail and don't mind spoilers, read after the video!
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AuthorCollege graduate, Army vet, single mom, Husky mom, Movie lover, writer Archives
August 2022
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